Friday, March 27, 2015

Tallinn, Estonia: The Soviets Upstairs - March 2015

As we stood by the elevator ready to ascend to our room
on the 18th floor, our colleague cautioned us to keep the conversation light
and not talk business as the KGB was likely to be listening.

Unbeknownst to us, we were staying at the infamous Viru
Hotel. Located in the heart of Tallinn, the Viru Hotel was built in 1972 as a
"western" hotel while Estonia was still under occupation by the
Soviet Union.

The small country of Estonia has a tumultuous history
having been invaded by several countries due to its favorable positioning
between the east and the west. The country we know today declared its
independence as a Democratic Republic in 1918, before being forcibly occupied
by the Soviet Union in 1940, the Nazis in 1941, and the Soviets again from 1944
to 1991.

During the time of Soviet occupation in Estonia,
westerners, especially journalists, were encouraged to visit Tallinn to spread
word of how modern and prosperous life was under communist rule. The Viru Hotel
was the pinnacle for such Soviet propaganda and the primary accommodation
option in Tallinn for westerners during this time.

When we stepped into the elevator of the 23-story hotel and
made the selection of the 18th floor, it was notable that the buttons stopped at 22. We later learned that was because the 23rd floor was home
to the KGB. From 1972 to after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Viru
Hotel's 23rd floor served as the "Estonian" base for Soviet
spy operations.

Under Soviet rule, the words and actions of locals and visitors alike were continuously monitored, likely recorded and often used as black mail. Government control was paramount. The KGB was the only entity in Tallinn to own a copy machine and all typewriters needed to be registered by the government. From their top story office in the Viru Hotel, the KGB used recording
devices to spy on the guests below. Cameras on poles with long lenses were
secured in pipes and microphones were hidden in telephones, behind pictures, and inside
lamps, ash trays and dishes. There were also floor guards stationed on every
level to chronicle the comings, goings and visitors of all guests.

While it was formally announced that the KGB abruptly
left the Viru Hotel and abandoned their base under the cover of night in 1991,
many believe their presence in Tallinn, and the Viru Hotel, remains to this
day.